Bukovica engleski.qxd - Fond za humanitarno pravo

Bukovica engleski.qxd 15.3.2003 13:53 Page 12
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Bukovica
tenegrin towns was impermissible, and that they had to
be disarmed. 16
Up until then the Montenegrin government had
claimed that there were no paramilitary groups in the
republic. That there were became evident at the Pljevlja
meeting when President Bulatović criticized the authorities
for failing to disarm paramilitaries. The weekly
Monitor reported that the republic’s Minister of Internal
Affairs did not deny that some ”strange army“ had
passed through the town under police escort. 17 He
admitted it had been agreed that the passage through
Pljevlja of this outfit would be swift. He further said it
was impossible to completely ”disarm citizens who like
guns, in fact it is dangerous because people, including
paramilitaries, are reluctant to give up their weapons.“
The weekly noted that the minister avoided saying
which outfit had been involved. 18
Who made up these paramilitary groups was indirectly
revealed by VJ General Milan Djokić, the commanding
officer of the Pljevlja garrison. Saying that it was not the
Army which had betrayed the people but vice versa, 19
General Djokić announced that ”under great pressure
by citizens,“ he would start ”handing out arms to those
who are prepared to defend the country.“ 20 Although
President Bulatović told the general that weapons could
distributed only by a decision of the High Defense
Council, Montenegrins wondered what were the criteria
for being considered trustworthy enough to be
issued with arms and whether their government was
16 ”Security Without Protection,“ Monitor, Podgorica, 15 May 1992.
17 Ibid.
18 Ibid.
19 Ibid.
20 Ibid